Cullen preaches caution over home comforts

The prize for Leinster this weekend is a big one. Win, and they'll be able to play each of their remaining Champions Cup this season in Dublin.

With a four-point lead at the top of Pool A, and an overwhelming points difference, Leo Cullen's side are within touching distance of being the top seed in the knockout stages, which would provide home advantage for the last 16, as well as quarter-final and semi-final should they get there.

But with the final also scheduled for the Aviva Stadium in May, the province will be hoping that tomorrow's meeting with Racing 92 at Lansdowne Road will be the first of five Champions Cup games in a row in Dublin 4.

Cullen has often spoken about the significance of securing as high a seed as possible, particularly last season when their cancelled pool game against Montpellier saw them have to travel to Leicester Tigers in the quarter-final.

Even before the competition kicked off in December, Leinster were favourites to make amends for last year's final defeat in Marseille, and that tag has only got heavier in recent weeks, following three bonus-point wins from three, and a 100% start to the season in all competitions.

However, while he says the prospect of home comforts is a "significant incentive", Cullen is preaching caution.

"It's not the be all and end all, I know that for certain," he says.

"Think back 20 years ago to 2003, we had a route to the final back in the Lansdowne Road days, we had a quarter-final here where Leinster beat Biarritz but unfortunately then lost against Perpignan in the semi-final, because everyone started talking about the final and this road being mapped out but that's unfortunately not the way it is.

"There are very motivated teams. Even more recently in the URC, we lost